The old adage “too many cooks spoil the broth” is being proven beyond a reasonable doubt in the various broadcast booths across the USA. Once relegated to Monday Night Football, broadcast booths have become increasingly congested in the other major sports venues. It seems the bigger the game the more announcers are assigned.
I grew up listening to Curt Gowdy (Red Sox), Chris Schenkel (NY Giants football), Johnny Most (Celtics), and Fred Cusick (Bruins). These men covered the games all by themselves and provided all I needed to know about what was going on. They did a very creditable job. Somewhere along the line someone decided that they needed some help so they added what was called a color man, a commentator preferably with some inside knowledge of the game. They were there to educate or provide some insightful tidbit(s) to the broadcast.
I found this additional person in the booth added a lot to the game, especially when the “color man” was an ex jock. We in Boston are fortunate to have two of the best in the country in Jerry Remy in baseball and Gino Capelletti on the radio in football. Some of my favorite “color men” over time have been, Joe Garagiola, Tony Kubek, Bob Uecker, and yes even early on that is, Tim McCarver.
I loved to listen to broadcasters such as Harry Caray, Mel Allen, Ernie Harwell, and Vin Sculley to name a few. I could be anywhere in the world and I would know exactly which team was playing simply by hearing their voices. When I heard Harry Caray, I knew I was listening to a Cub’s game. These men were a part of the team and they did their job without any help.
Years later, I believe it was Roone Arledge, we were introduced to having three men in the booth doing the Monday Night Football telecast. If my memory serves me right, I believe the play by play guy was Frank Gifford and the color man was Don Meredith and the third man in was a man who stole the show each Monday night - Howard Cosell. Howard was unique in many ways and was know for the staccatoish way he had of delivering his dissertations. Those three seemed to know how to make it work. Maybe it was he newness of it all or maybe it was simply that they had CHEMISTRY. But whatever it was, it will never be reproduced.
The trend lately that has been copied in many major markets is to have additional people on the broadcast team. In football, we now have the sideline reporter - in some cases two, one for each side of the field, that in most cases is rehashing the same information that has been provided from the announcers in the booth. The viewer is duped into thinking that they are getting something insightful. They’re not. They’re just getting in the way. At times it’s comical to watch them chase down the coaches as they try to hurry in to their respective locker rooms at half time. Many of their questions are downright asinine. Here’s the typical exchange; “Well coach what do you think your team has to do in the second half to get back in this game?” The annoyed coach trying to act in a congenial manner will typically answer, “We have to play better.”
Seeing what’s been done in football, baseball decides to copy this sideline reporter thing by putting a reporter in the stands. Where football has the short pause after every play where they can slip in a little tidbit from these reporters baseball doesn’t unless they’re into a pitching change or some other occurrence where play is stopped. So invariably as they go to the reporter in the stands they are in direct competition with the activity on the field. As the reporter is interviewing Harry Senile who is celebrating his 100th birthday at the ballpark the viewer is cheated of an exciting play. Recently technology has made them give you multiple screens so you can see two things at once. Why did I spend all this money for a wide screen TV to have some boob decide to shrink it whenever he wants.
Are the production managers at the major networks looking at the product they’re providing? Is Monday Night Football about football anymore? It doesn’t look it. I don’t want to see some two-bit actor from Desperate Housewives or whatever other desperate show you want to promote being interviewed during the telecast. Next thing you’ll do is team up Rosie O’Donnell with Tony Siragusa doing the play by play. Scale back on the number of talking heads you provide for each telecast and focus on getting us quality announcers.
Remember what your grandmother used to say, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.”
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